Collapsible egg-crate.



J. A. STRALEY. COLLAPSIBLE EGG CRATE. APPLICAUUN mi JUNE 15. |3184 ltentml Dec.

- I @mW/to@ JA TQALY.

J4. www1 position.

' UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

JOHN A. STRAVLEYNOI TOLEDO,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO E. S. WORBAL, OF

TOLEDO, OHIO.

COLLAPSIBLE EGG-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

Application. med June 15,1918. semi No. 240,156.

To all whom it `may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. STRALEY, a

citizen ofthe United States, residing at Toledo, iin the county of Lucas, State 'of Ohio. have invented a new 'and useful Collapsible Egg-Crate; and I do hereby declare the'foliowing to be a full, clear, and exact 'Further objects of the invention are tol provide a collapsible shipping crate which can be inexpensively constructed of sheet metal which can be quickly set up in operative position or collapsed, which provid y a substantial and rigid crate when opened 1p,

and which admit-.sof the contents of the crate being easily inspected and removegli at g an time.

ith these and other objects in viewfthe invention consists in certain novel combi-I nations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the descri tion proceeds, the novel features thereof eing pointed out in the appended claims.

Fora full understanding of'the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Q Figure 1 is a vertical longltudmal sectional'view through a crate constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the same as opened up and locked in operative Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the intermediate plartition being folded downwardly against t e bottom.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the crate when collapsed.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

F ig. 5 is a perspective view of the crate l when opened up and in operative position.

Fig. 6 is p. similar view of the crate when co sed.

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged detail views of the locking `means for holding the cover in position upon the crate.

Fig. 9 is an edge view of the cover plate7 showing the roll Harige at the back thereof.

- Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the

numeral 1 designates the bottom of the crate, said bottom being rectangular in shape and being formed of some strong light material such as sheet metal. The ends of the bottom are provided with comparatively short upstanding iianges 2, while the sides are Drovided with upstanding flanges 3 and 4 which extend upwardly above the end flanges 2, the

front iange 3 being preferably slightly higher than the rear flange 4 to facilitate the folding of the crate. End walls 5 are hingedly connected at 6 to the upper edges of the end flanges 2 so that they can either be folded inwardly against the bottom 1 or swung upwardly into an Vupright position. In a similar manner the back 7 of the crate is hinged at 8 to the rear side flange 4, while the front 9 is hinged at 10 to the front side flange 3. The hinges 8 and 10 are formed with knuckles which project outwardly from the sides of the crate and provide outstanding ribs uponV `the crate.

When the crate ends 5 ,are swung upwardly they engage the end flanges 11 on the back 7 and front 9, being in turn pro-- vided with end {hinges-*12 which lit against the back and front and are engaged by pivoted latch members 13 thereon. These latch members are movable into and out of engagement with the upper ends of the flanges 12 of`the. crate ends, and when .in operative engagement therewith, as indicated by full lines on Figs.1 and 2, the -ends and sides of the crate are securely locked in an upright position. However, when the latch members are swung out of engagement with the flanges 1.2, as indicated by dotted lines on Fig. 1, the front and back or the crate'can be swung outwardly a slight amount and the ends folded downwardly against the bottom, said ends being indicated by dotted moved therefrom.

. position.l`

At the front of the crate the botto. If desired, these crate ends 5 may be provided with suitable handles, such as are indicated at l-l.

The cover plate' 15 is from the crate, being provided at the front and sides thcrcoi= with downwardly projecting straight flanges 16. and at the rear thereot' with a rolled flange 17 providing a `groove or channel which is adapted to receive and interlock either with the outstanding rib 18 at the top ot' the back 7, or' with the outstanding knuckles of the hinge 8 when the crate is collapsed, as indicated by Fig. -l. .the cover plate 15 is provided with'a hasp member 19 which is hingedly secured to the cover at '20, the swn ing end of the hasp member being provide with a pivoted latch Q1 which is adapted to engage either one of a pair of keepers or sockets 22. A locking lever Q3 is ivotally connected at 2l to a wing 25 which 1s rigid with the latch 21, said lever providing a convenient means for rotating the latch into operative or inoperative position. The openings of the sockets 22 are versely elongated so that when the latch21 is turned into a horizontalposition it will enter the sockets, although when it is turned into a vertical. position it can yeither be placed in engagement with 'the'sockets or re- When the latch member is in operative position the operating handle or locking lever 23 can be folded against the' a slot 26 therein fitted hasp member 19- and over an eye or staple 27 proe'cting from -the hasp member.` Any suitab e form of lock can be applied to the staple 2'( for locking the crate cover in a closed position. `Wlien` the crate is expanded and set up in operatlve position, as indicated by' Figs. land 2, the rolled or curvedflange 17 of the cover is brought into` an interlockingl engagement with the rib 18 at the top of t eback 7 and the latch member 21 causedto' engage the socket 22 which is applied to the front 9 of the crate. However, when the crate is colla sed, as indicated g ro led. flange 17 of the cover plate 15 is caused to interlock with the Vhinge 8 and the latch member 21 caused to engage thesocket '22 whichis applied to the front flange 3 of the bottom.

Anv intermediate partition28 may be .provided, said partition being shown asA hingedly'connected atA 29 to the crate bottom 1 at the middle thereof, and adapted either to be collapsed against the said crate bottom or' swung upwardly i'nto an upright en in" an upright' position the upper'edge of the partition is engaged by `hook members B0 operative 'position.

bodily removable by Figs. 3 and 4, the,

p which are pivoted upon theI t @frontend sides of the' crate, said hook members being readily movablev intoV and out' of If desired, the rolled" flange, 17 of the cover plate may have a ser' masses provided at opposite ysides thereof with upstanding anges, Vfront and back members collapsible against the bottom, ithe back member being .provided atthe' uI per edge thereof with an outstandinV rib, ndependent keepers upon the fron and the corresponding flange of the bottom, hinges connecting the front and back members to the res ective ilanges and .formed with knuckles which rovide outstandin ribs, end members fodable against the rliottom, a removable cover ,plate provided at one side with a returned hooked flange adapted to engage either the rib at the to of the back when the crate is open,"or the inge knuckles at the lowerjedge of the back when the crate is collapsed, a hasp 'member applied to the opposite slde of the cover plate, and latch means upon the hasp member. for engaging either o the before mentioned keepers. 2. A collapsible crate includi provided at opposite sides thereo with upstanding flanges, front and back members foldable against the bottom, the-back member-.having .an outstanding rib ,at the ed e thereof, hinges connecting the an .back members to the respective flanges a bottom and formed with knuckles providing outstanding ribs, end .membersfoldable against side of the. cover vplate for engagin- 'either i the' front or the bottomv flange to w ich the front is hinged. p

3. A collapsible, crate including a bottom provided` with short end lian es and* tall side flanges, to the end flanges .and foldable against lthe bottom, front and backmembers hingedly connected to the respective side flanges and also foldable against the bottom, the hinge connections including outwardly -projectin `knuckles which form outstanding ribs an the 4upper edge of the back being formed withan outstanding rib, a removable cover plate having a hooked flange at one -sde thereof ladapted to engage'either the outend members hinge 'ly connected las st'andirg rib at the upper edge of the back when t e'crate is open or the hinge knuckles at thelower edge of the back' when the crate is collapsed, and latch means for securing 5 the opposite edge of the cover plate either to the front or to the bottom fiange carrying the front. i

4. A collapsible crate including a bottom provided with short end flanges and tall side 10 flanges, end members liingedly 4connected to the end flanges and foldable` against the bottom, fron't'ancl back members hingedly connected to the respe tive side flanges and also foldable toward the bottom, the end mem- 15 bers andfront and back members being each provided with inwardly extending end fianges, latch members carried' by the front and back members for engagement with the end flanges of the end members when the citate' is opened up and the end members are 20 swung outwardly into enga ement with the end flanges of the front ang back members, and a cover for the crate.

In testimony 4whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 25 two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. STRALEY. Witnesses:

G. W. TWILER, L. R01' SPAULDING; g 

